New England Grassroots Environment Fund - Seed Grants is a program from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund that supports newly forming community groups tackling local environmental issues across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Seed Grants are designed for groups that have been working on their project for fewer than two years, prioritizing groups representing diverse community voices not reached by other funders. The fund interprets "environment" broadly, supporting a wide range of activities. Awards range from $500 to $1,000.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis year-round (no review in January or July). No 501(c)(3) status is required — informal volunteer-led groups with two or more active organizers are eligible.

Seed Grants | Grassroots Fund Community of Practice Series Join a Planning Committee Our Funding Model & Partners Grassroots Fund Network Listserv connect@grassrootsfund. org Considerations to qualify for a grant How to submit an application Steps toward a final decision Expectations after receiving a grant Frequently asked questions The Seed grant program is geared towards newly forming community groups.

Most often, Seed grantee groups have been working on their project less than two years and usually don't yet have much direct experience with implementing the idea. Seed grants prioritize support for community groups who represent a broad range of voices in their community and who are not being reached by other funders. The Grassroots Fund interprets the word 'environment' broadly and provides funding for a wide range of activities.

Deadline: rolling - you can apply for a Seed grant any time of year. Please note that there is no grant review in January and in July. Grant size: $500 - $1,000 Grant Timeline: A final decision generally takes 4 to 6 weeks and you can expect to hear from staff to schedule a follow-up call in about 2 weeks from the date you submit an application.

Depending on the group’s tax status and chosen payment method, funds are typically in hand ~2-3 weeks after all paperwork has been completed. Direct questions to: Tess at tess@grassrootsfund. org if you cannot find the answers to your questions on this page.

Especially in the early phase, when a group or a project is figuring itself out, it matters how decision are made and who gets to make them. This is the time to look around the neighborhood to see what else is happening. Read more about Guiding Practices of Rooted Innovation and Shifting Power .

The Seed grant program is focused on community-based, local initiatives. Groups doing local, grassroots work in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont. Groups who have 2 or more organizers actively involved in decision-making on project priorities and actions.

Note that groups do NOT need to have formal tax status or a fiscal sponsor. A group only needs a bank account in the group's name (see FAQs below to learn how to set that up). Groups that are volunteer-driven.

Groups that have an approximate annual operating budget under $100,000. There is some tolerance for applications from groups spending up to $150K in particular cases. We ask for more context on the application.

Groups who spent more than $150,000 last calendar year. For-profits requesting funds to cover business expenses. National or international work.

Lobbying or partisan political activity. Acquisition of land and/or buildings. Studies with no follow-up action.

Publication of books or reports. Micro-, mini-, re-granting programs. Retroactive (pre-dating application submission) expenses.

Eligible groups are able to receive up to 2 Seed grants per calendar year, as long as each individual grant is for a different area of work . For example, a group could be awarded a Seed grant to fund a community garden) and another grant in for their tenant organizing work (such as “Know Your Rights” workshops). How to submit an application The Grassroots Fund application is online.

You can start your group's application by clicking the button below. Each application has three sections: contact information, group information & project information. All required fields have to be complete before you are able to submit your group's application.

The application form does not auto-save and we recommend you regularly hit the Save button to make sure your work is not lost (technology isn't always our friend). You can return to an open application by clicking the Show Action Center button in the top-right (make sure you are logged in). Additional members of your group are able to register with the website and can join your group to get access to an application.

Once you submit an application, you will receive an automated confirmation that we have received the application. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions along the way. Start a new Seed grant application (to return to an existing application, click the Show Action Center button top-right and find saved applications under the Your Applications header.

Note that you must be logged into the website for “Show Action Center” to appear. ) Seed applications are currently reviewed by a committee of community members that is coordinated by Grassroots Fund staff. As part of review, a staff member conducts a phone conversation with each applicant to go over any clarifying questions that came up during the initial review process.

This information, along with the original written application, are used as part of the final application assessment. The Guiding Practices are the basis for a discussion-based decision making process to determine final funding outcomes. Staff and community grantmakers use a numeric rubric to gauge an application's alignment with our Guiding Practices .

The rubric helps make decisions on different levels of partial or full funding. Once a decision has been made, Grassroots Fund staff communicate not only the funding outcome but also a tailored set of feedback related to the Guiding Practices to each applicant group. Make decisions on applications After receiving a grant, a report is due either when all funds are expended or one year from the date of the grant agreement letter.

You can access the (google form based) grant report form, by clicking the button below. For a preview of the report questions, see here . If you have any questions or need a copy of your grant agreement letter, please reach out to Chetana .

Please note that you cannot receive additional funds until a report is received on existing funds. While you can apply for additional grants you will not receive additional funds until any outstanding reports are submitted. Go to Report form (google form link will open) Frequently asked questions Does a group have to have a 501(c)3, incorporated status or a fiscal sponsor to receive funding?

(spoiler alert: NO!) No, the Grassroots Fund does not require that a group has a formal tax exempt status. We fund both informal (unincorporated) groups - we call them “ad hoc” - and formal (incorporated or 501c3 status) groups.

The minimum requirement is that a group must have a checking account in the group’s name (if you don't have a fiscal sponsor or a certain tax status as a group). This requirement is to ensure that the grant isn't considered personal income for the recipient. Note that a group is allowed to submit an application before having a checking account or a fiscal agent in place.

How can an unincorporated community volunteer group open a bank account in the group's name? In order to open a bank account to deposit funds, the bank can request an Employee Identification Number ( EIN ) be assigned for identification purposes.

A Community Volunteer Group can request an EIN number online by following these steps: Click on Apply for an EIN (near the middle of the page) Click on Begin Application (at the bottom of the page) When you get to the list of the type of group, check the View Additional Types box at the bottom of the list, then hit Continue Choose Community or Volunteer Group , then Continue Click on the Continue button Fill out all of the applicable information for the group What kind of projects does the Grassroots Fund support?

The Grassroots Fund's Guiding Practices highlight some of the process elements we aim to prioritize in our funding. The Guiding Practices focus on rooting work in community context, shifting power in decision-making, ensuring barriers to participation are lowered and centering just transition principles.

We understand no single project will be able to excel in all areas, but we seek to engage in conversations about who makes decisions, how priorities are set and who is able to participate. Those are questions we ask ourselves about our own programs & projects as well. The Fund interprets the word ‘environment’ broadly and will provide funding for a wide range of activities.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss a project idea or if you are looking for feedback on an application. What is the difference between a Seed and a Grow grant? If you are working to launch a newly evolving project (generally active less than 2 years), go with Seed.

Seed grantees often have less experience with the work and aren't able to draw from many experiences with implementation. If you are an established group with some experience with the project and are looking for support to deepen or broaden the work, then Grow is more appropriate. Grow grantees often are able to give specific examples for how they are implementing (or evolving) specific practices.

Don't hesitate to contact us for help deciding betweent the grant programs. What should a group do about the grant report if a grant hasn't been spent after one year? Please reach out and connect so we can talk more about next steps.

It generally is not a problem to extend the grant period if there are plans to complete the project in the next 6 months. Staff will ask follow up questions where needed and we can note on the application that an extension was granted. In some cases, we may ask for an interim report but we can best determine that when we understand the specifics.

Please don't hesitate to contact us to discuss more. What should a group do if it doesn't need the full grant to complete the work (or disbands before the funds are spent)? The group should fill out a final Grant Report form and return the remaining money to the Grassroots Fund by check.

We will use the funds to support other grassroots groups across the region! Please contact Chetana with any questions about returning grant funds. How many times can a group receive Seed funding in a calendar year?

Eligible groups are able to receive up to two Seed grants per calendar year, as long as each individual grant is for a different area of work . For example, a group could be awarded a Seed grant to fund a community garden) and another grant in for their tenant organizing work (such as “Know Your Rights” workshops). How many years can a group receive funding from the Grassroots Fund?

That depends. There is no set limit. We work through a participatory process and rely on grant readers and grantmaking committee members to make final decisions.

Alignment with the Guiding Practices is at the center of conversation and we understand that much of the work takes time to develop and has to respond to shifting realities. For the Seed program, we do prioritze newly emerging work that doesn't have the established experience of implementing a project. If you are unsure whether or not your group should apply again, please don't hesitate to contact us .

Why are there demographic questions in the application process? In Grassroots Fund’s commitment to environmental justice, we are focusing our efforts in making sure that grant funds are reaching community organizers and organizations whose voices and identities are most often underfunded . This most strongly shows up as we think about what it means to Shift Power.

Grantees who have scored high in this particular guiding practice emphasize needing to understand who is in their community and who is in their organization’s leadership. They do so by seeking to understand their leadership’s lived experiences.

As our application is built to provide reflection points for groups to think about how they are organizing, we have added additional questions to think about who is present in your group. We also will use this information to better understand who is receiving funding and how we can better focus our efforts to ensure our funding dollars are leading towards greater environmental justice. Be in the know to help your work grow.

Get updates on trainings and resources to help your group get things done. Connect with us, we’d love to talk: connect@grassrootsfund. org Community of Practice Series Join a Planning Committee Our Funding Model & Partners Grassroots Fund Network Listserv